Building block



June 23, 1925. A

w. F. HOFFMAN ET AL BUILDING BLOCK Filed April 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g5 :17 9 52 60 3 5 7 WWWWWW/ WEHqffman HFzhrenhaZtz ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,542,882 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. HOFFMAN AND HENRY FAHREIHOLTZ, OF DAYTON, KENTUCKY.

BUILDING BLOCK.

Application filed April 12, 1923. Serial No.'831,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. Horr- MAN and HENRY FAHRENHOLTZ, citizens of the United States. residing at Dayton,'in

the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky. have invented new and useful Improvements in Building Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to building ma- IO terial. particularly to block or brick devices, and has for its object the provision of a novel block, brick or tile constructed to be used in conjunction with a lock strip secured upon an unfinished wall, it being intended that the blocks and the like be mounted upon the strips and that they be arranged in staggered relation as is common in masonry construction, the co-acting blocks or bricks making the finished wall surface.

' An important object is the provision of a building construction of this character in which the blocks or tiles are equally capable of use for exterior Work or -for interior 25 work, and also for ceilings as well as walls.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which'will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, eiiicient in use, easy to apply, durable in service and a general improvement in-the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; in

which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a wall constructed in accordance with our invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lock strip,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the blocks or bricks, looking at the rear thereof,

Figure 4 is a sectional-view taken across two locking strips and showing. a plurality of the bricks mounted,

Figure 5 is a sectional 'view showing a modification,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the modified block or brick for ceiling work,

looking at the rear,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lock. Referring more particularly to the drawings, and especially Figuresl to 4 the letter A designates an unfinished wall which is to finished by means of our bricks, blocks or tlles, whichever it is preferable to call them. In carrying out the invention we provide lock strips 10 secured upon the wall A at proper spaced points and held in position byany. suitable means such as nails, screws or the like.' The lock strip has its upper edge toward the well cut away atan incline as indicatedat 12 to provide an overhanging flange.

Inconnection with these'locking strips, we make use of a plurality of blocks, bricks or tiles which may be formed of any preferred material, which may be of any desired size and which may have any preferred finish, all these factors depending upon whether the wall be an exterior one exposed to the weather or an interior one intended to be more or less ornamental. For outside use the blocks would probably be constructedof cement, terra-cotta, brick clay or the like and for inside use they might be constructed of the same materials, or of wood or any desired composition. For use in lavatories and other places of a similar nature these blocks would probably be constructed as tiles. Regardless of these immaterial details, each block consists of an elongated rectangular body 15 having its ends slightly concaved as indicated at 16. On the rear side of the body are projections 17 and 18 preferably formed integrally therewith and arranged in spaced relation as shown. The projection. 17 extends be- 7 yond one edge of the block body 15 to provide a retaining shoulder 19 and this projecting end is concaved as indicated at 20. The opposite end of the projection 17 is formed with a square shoulder 21 which engages against the square edge of the locking strip 11. The pro ectiOn 18 terminates inwardly of the opposite end of the block body and has its outer end concaved as indicated at 22. The inner end of this projection 18,

i. e. the end toward the projection 17 is formed with an overhanging flange 23 having an inclined wall 24 which will mate with the inclined wall or edge 12 of the locking stri Iii making use of the blocks, as many strips 11 as are necessary are secured to they wall-A in proper spaced relation depending upon the size of bricks or blocks to be used. The blocks 15 are thenengaged upon the respective locking strips, the shoulders 21 enga in the square sides of the locking strips t e inclined flanges 23 engaging with the inclined portions 12 of the strips. It is preferable that the blocks of successive rows or tiers be in staggered relation. When the blocks are properly placed it is to be observed that the extensions 19 of one row of blocks will enga e behind the upper edges of the row next iielow. The ends of the extensions 17 fit against the concaved ends 22 of the projections 18 and the upper and lower ends or edges of the blocks or bricks likewise engage. It is intended that as the wall is built the concaved edges 16, 20 and 22 be filled with mortar indicated at 25 so that the blocks will be positively and absolutely secured together in a permanent manner, the concavities operating to prevent the mortar from breaking out. V

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 we have shown a somewhat modified construction of block or brick designed for use in ceilin work. In this form we use a locking strip which has one edge inclined toward the ceiling support as indicated at 31 and which has its opposite end 32 formed as a square shoulder provided with a groove 33. In conjunction with this t pe of locking strip we employ blocks 34: o the same formation as above described and provided on their rear sides with projections 35 and 36 spaced apart as shown. The projections are identically the same as those described in the first form except that the inner end of the projection 36 is formed with a groove 37 which mates with or is opposite to the groove 33 whereby to receive a locking block or wedge 38 which is inserted in the grooves and driven in sulficiently to cause a tight fit.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that we have thus provided a novel buildin block and mounting therefor which wifi have the utmost efliciency and which may be used with ease and without involving any great degree of skill.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention it is of course to be understood that we reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention we claim: I,

1. In a building construction, a plurality of strips adapted to be mounted in spaced parallel relation upon an unfinished wall, the stri s having one edge inclined loward the wal and blocks adapted to be engaged upon the strips in rows, each block having its rear face formed with an opening of greater width than the strip to define a space between the other edge of the strip and the adjacent edge of the opening, said edge of the strip and said edge of the opening being formed with grooves. and a locking member adapted to be driven into said grooves.

2. In a building construction, means for finishing an unfinished wall structure. comprising a strip disposed upon the wall having one edge inclined with respect to the wall and the other edge arranged at right angles thereto, blocks disposable upon the strip in edge to edge relation, and each having its rear face formed with an opening of greater width than the strip to define a space between the second named edge of the strip and the adjacent edge of the opening said second named edge of the strip and said edge of the opening being formed with grooves, and a locking member slidable into said grooves for effecting locking of the blocks with respect to the strip.

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures.

WILLIAM F. HOFFMAN. HENRY FAHRENHOLTZ. 

